Heidi O’Loughlin looks set to leave a lasting impression this festival with A Woman Talking – a show exactly as advertised and then some.
O’Loughlin promises to deal in personal stories, but warns there may ultimately be no emotional pay-off. “The show might not have a point to it,” she quips coyly. The no-frills approach suits her. O’Loughlin doesn’t lay claim to a brash larger-than-life personality. There’s no big-time bravado. That’s refreshing though and, ultimately, it works in her favour. By simply being herself and expounding upon the sorts of subjects that matter to her, a connection is made. It’s these sorts of things that can’t necessarily be taught and, furthermore, make a world of difference. In fact, O’Loughlin is endearing from the outset, demonstrating an absurd “Amazon.com recommended” product (a visual you won’t forget in a hurry).
In A Woman Talking, O’Loughlin draws parallels between her own personal journey and Tahitian history, exploring her heritage. The show has the distinction of being entertaining and educational. Naturally there are a lot of historical details for O’Loughlin to unpack and, to her credit, she works hard to keep things entertaining. This sort of show could easily degenerate into a lecture in the hands of less capable performers, but O’Loughlin manages to bypass the obvious pitfall. It’s never excessively dry. Of course, it helps that she breaks things up with various comedic detours, sprinkling some biting political satire and poorly performed Christmas carols that no written word will do justice. O’Loughlin also expounds upon her first big television role in New Zealand, targeting her former colleagues with a venomous tirade. It’s definitely a highlight, as O’Loughlin not only stands up for herself but flies the flag for her gender, too.
Regular festival-goers would perhaps recognise O’Loughlin as one of the talented bit-players of FanFiction Comedy. A Woman Talking goes a long way to demonstrate that, if she so desired, O’Loughlin could easily pursue a successful solo career too. Here’s hoping she brings her self-described “oddball standup” back to Melbourne next year.
BY NICK MASON
